Stockyard fires could slow farm economy

Two stockyards in Tennessee burned this week and officials say the fires will hurt their areas' farm economy. Other stockyards, however, may benefit because of the fires.

"Whenever you lose a facility like that, you lose some of your competition," said Rick Skillington, director of the Marshall County Agricultural Extension Service. "When farmers carry their livestock to market, they like the competition."

The Tennessee Livestock Producers Association barn in Fayetteville was destroyed by fire, the Tennessee Farm Bureau Federation said. The Federation owns the association and recently bought land for another auction house in Fayetteville.

A trucker in Fayetteville called in the fire at 12:14 a.m. Wednesday, according to the city's interim fire chief.